Pelvic bone exercise

Pelvic Floor Exercises for Everyone (Yes, Everyone)

If you can’t sneeze, laugh, or cough without leaking a little urine, you’re not alone. Problems with the pelvic floor are common and can happen to anyone (1).

The good news? Incorporating specific exercises (aka pelvic floor muscle training) into your overall fitness routine can help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, as well as reduce the severity of symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse (2).

Here’s an easy-to-understand guide to what the pelvic floor is, what it does, how to find these muscles, and tips regarding when to see a professional. Plus, it provides five exercises to help strengthen your pelvic floor that you can start doing right away!

The pelvic floor comprises muscles and connective tissues. These soft tissues attach to your pelvis, and more specifically, to the bones at the bottom of the pelvis.

In all people, the pelvic organs include the urethra, bladder, intestines, and rectum. If you have a vagina, the pelvic floor also consists of the uterus, cervix, and vagina (3).

A good way to visualize the pelvic floor and its function, says Marcy Crouch, PT, DPT, WCS, a board certified clinical specialist in women’s health, is to picture these muscles at the bottom of the pelvis like a hammock or basket.

“When the pelvic floor is engaged or contracted, it performs a lifting motion toward your head, which feels like you are trying to stop gas or urine, or pucker your anal opening,” she says.

Summary
The pelvic floor comprises muscles and connective tissues that attach to the pelvis.

The pelvic floor muscles are critical to daily functions. They support the pelvic organs, including the bladder, urethra, rectum, anus, prostate, uterus, cervix, vagina, and intestines (4).

Pelvic floor muscles also contribute to sexual health and function, including arousal and orgasm (5, 6).

Plus, they help stabilize your hips and trunk, especially when walking and standing.

Pregnancy and vaginal birth can weaken these muscles, causing a host of issues, which range in severity from mild pain and discomfort to pelvic organ prolapse (7, 8).

But it’s not just pregnancy or childbirth that can cause pelvic floor dysfunction. It can also occur with age, menopause, surgery, repeated heavy lifting, prolonged sitting, sexual abuse, or conditions that create pressure on the abdomen, such as excessive weight.

Additionally, certain habits, symptoms, or conditions can contribute to pelvic floor disorders (PFD), such as endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and habitual patterns of avoiding or restricting bowel movements (4).

Summary
Pelvic floor muscles support the urethra, bladder, intestines, rectum, and other pelvic organs. If you have a uterus, cervix, and vagina, the pelvic floor also supports these organs.

For a lot of people, the concepts of Kegels and the pelvic floor are synonymous with a vagina, and more specifically, pregnancy.

But what you might not know is that people of all genders have these muscles. In people with a penis, the pelvic floor muscles support the bladder and bowel, preventing leakage of stool and urine (9).

They also help with sexual health, including function and sensation.

Common diagnoses of pelvic floor disorders in men include chronic prostatitis, pudendal neuralgia, genitofemoral neuralgia, and hypertonicity (10).

Summary
People of all genders have pelvic floor muscles.

One of the simplest ways to find the pelvic floor is to stop or slow urine flow while going to the bathroom. If you can do this successfully at least a few times, you’ve found your pelvic floor.

Another good way to activate the pelvic floor muscles, says Crouch, is this:

Lie down with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Inhale.
Exhale gently, draw in your lower abdominal muscles, and squeeze in the muscles around the urethra like you’re trying to stop gas or urine. People with a vagina can also focus on lifting or squeezing the muscles around the vagina.
Hold for 1–2 seconds, then let everything go. You should feel the pelvic floor muscles release and drop.

One way to find the pelvic floor muscles while standing is to imagine you need to pass gas but don’t want to let it out.

If you’re trying to hold it in, there’s a good chance you’ll squeeze your rectum and anus. The muscles you activate are those comprising the pelvic floor, especially if you feel a pulling sensation at your anus.

When engaging the pelvic floor, it’s important to remember that these muscles span the distance across the bottom of your pelvis. So, if you’re contracting only the muscles that control the flow of urine but not the rectal muscles, you aren’t getting a full contraction.

For the most effective contraction, engage both areas — the muscles that would stop gas and urine simultaneously. Research has also shown that engaging the transversus abdominis and obliques at the same time may help deepen pelvic floor muscle engagement (11).

Likewise, engaging the pelvic floor muscles may contribute to a stronger abdominal contraction (12).

This is especially important to remember when you’re an active individual or looking to increase your core strength for functional purposes.

Still, learning to release or relax the contraction of these muscles is just as important for optimal pelvic floor function. Once you’re able to feel the sensation of contraction in these muscles, check in with yourself occasionally: Are these muscles always turned on, even just a little?

One way to think about it is to imagine your pelvic floor muscles as an elevator. When you’re sitting at your desk or standing and doing dishes, take note of where the elevator has come to a stop. Is it at the bottom floor? At the third floor? Or all the way at the tenth?

Learning to let the elevator rest at the bottom is important, too, as excess tension in these muscles can cause pain.

Summary
There are several ways to find the pelvic floor muscles, including stopping urine midstream and trying to prevent gas from leaving your body. It’s important to learn how to both contract and relax these muscles.

When the pelvic floor muscles are weak or malfunctioning, they lose the ability to fully support the pelvic organs, causing pelvic floor disorders.

These disorders can include urinary or fecal incontinence, urgency urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, and pelvic organ prolapse, and they might cause symptoms like painful sex (13, 14).

It’s hard to estimate how many people have a pelvic floor disorder, as awareness of the symptoms and conditions remains low. Many people who identify as women assume pelvic floor dysfunction is a normal part of childbirth or aging and therefore don’t seek treatment.

However, it’s estimated that about 1 in 4 women experience pelvic floor disorders, and that number doubles by the time women are over 80 years old. Some research shows that about 50% of women are affected by PFD in their childbearing years (4, 13).

What’s more, researchers expect to see a 70% increase in the number of women impacted by PFD by the year 2050, due to health trends like increasing body mass index and chronic constipation (14).

Furthermore, people with a penis don’t often think they can be impacted by PFD, but the prevalence of such conditions in men is estimated to be about 16% (4).

Symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction include:

pelvic pressure or fullness
the frequent urge to urinate or painful urination
urinary leakage
urinary incontinence
lower back pain
constipation, difficulties with bowel movements, or bowel leakage
difficulty emptying the bladder
pain with sexual intercourse
pain in the pelvic region or genitals
pelvic muscle spasms

Fortunately, there are nonsurgical ways to treat PFD and find relief from pain or embarrassment. Often a consultation with a pelvic floor physical therapist is a good place to start.

Summary
Pelvic floor disorders (PFD) are more common than people realize, but they’re also more treatable than people realize.

Chronic issues with the pelvic floor can be caused by both hypotonic muscles (pelvic muscles that are too lax or weak) or hypertonic muscles (pelvic floor muscles that are too tight or overactive) (15, 16, 17).

Sometimes, these conditions are referred to as relaxing pelvic floor dysfunction and nonrelaxing pelvic floor dysfunction.

Pelvic floor dysfunction can also happen on a continuum, with both hypotonic and hypertonic issues. This often comes as a surprise to people who assume their pelvic floor issues are caused by inactive muscles.

But here’s the deal: Not everyone should be doing Kegels.

The pelvic floor comprises skeletal muscle. “That means it can have the same kind of injuries, weakness, or trauma like any other muscle in your body,” says Crouch. “It can also become “tight” or chronically contracted — think a muscle spasm in your calf.”

If the muscles are in spasm, contracted, or too tight, Crouch says doing Kegels can worsen the problem — pain, leaking, constipation, or sexual dysfunction. In other words, if your pelvic floor is hypertonic, it’s best to avoid Kegels until you consult a pelvic floor physical therapist.

Summary
Pelvic floor muscles can be hypotonic (too weak or lax) or hypertonic (too tight).

Like other muscles in your body, the pelvic floor operates best when the muscles are strong and able to release fully after a full contraction. Strengthening the pelvic floor allows you to better support the bladder, bowels, and uterus (18).

Plus, it can help with bladder and bowel control.

Researchers have also found that improved pelvic floor function improves quality of life (19).

If you have pelvic floor prolapse, strengthening the pelvic floor muscles likewise helps reduce the severity of symptoms, including urinary leakage, incontinence, pelvic pressure, and lower back pain, among others (7).

A pelvic floor strengthening program could likewise lead to better sex (5).

Some research supports the connection between male sexual function and pelvic floor function. Specifically, researchers cite how pelvic floor physical therapy can potentially improve erectile dysfunction and ejaculation problems (20).

Moreover, regularly squeezing or contracting the pelvic floor muscles may boost sexual sensation and sexual function for some people with a vagina (21).

Finally, the American Urological Association recommends pelvic floor muscle training as part of a treatment plan for overactive bladder (22).

The goal of this therapy is to inhibit involuntary bladder contractions and decrease incontinence.

Summary
Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles can reduce incontinence, improve sexual health, decrease symptoms of pelvic floor prolapse, and help treat overactive bladder.

You can activate the pelvic floor anytime, anywhere. But it’s also beneficial to incorporate specific exercises that strengthen and target the pelvic floor muscles.

One way to design a program is to categorize the exercises for those who have hypotonic pelvic floor muscles versus those who have hypertonic pelvic floor muscles.

According to Crouch, hypotonic means you have low tone pelvic floor issues and need to strengthen and improve endurance and power.

Exercises for hypotonic pelvic floor muscles

To target hypotonic pelvic floor issues, Crouch recommends these 3 exercises:

Quick flick Kegels

Crouch says the quick flick Kegel requires quick contractions of your pelvic floor to help activate the muscles faster and stronger to stop leaks upon sneezing or coughing.

Begin by lying on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. As this exercise becomes easier, try sitting or standing while performing it.
Find your pelvic floor muscles using the tips described above.
Exhale, pull your navel to your spine, and quickly contract and release your pelvic floor muscles. Aim to contract for 1 second before releasing.
Maintain steady breathing throughout.
Repeat the quick flick 10 times, then rest for 10 seconds. Do 2–3 sets.

Heel slides

Heel slides encourage pelvic floor contractions while targeting the deep abdominal muscles.

Begin by lying on the floor with your knees bent and pelvis in a neutral position.
Inhale into the rib cage, then exhale through the mouth, letting your ribs naturally compress.
Draw your pelvic floor up, lock in your core, and slide your right heel away from you. Only go as far as you can without losing your connection to your deep core.
Find the bottom position, then inhale and bring your leg back to starting position.
Repeat.
Do 10 slides on each side before changing to the other leg.

Marches (also called toe taps)

Like heel slides, the marching exercise increases core stability and encourages pelvic floor contractions.

Begin by lying on the floor with your knees bent and pelvis in a neutral position.
Inhale into your rib cage, then exhale through your mouth, letting your ribs naturally compress.
Draw your pelvic floor up and lock in your core.
Slowly lift one leg up to a tabletop position.
Slowly lower this leg to the starting position.
Repeat the movement alternating legs. You should not feel any pain in your lower back. It’s important that your deep core stays engaged throughout the entire exercise.
Alternate legs for 12–20 times total.

Exercises for hypertonic pelvic floor muscles

Hypertonic exercises may provide some relaxation and lengthening for someone who has a short or tight pelvic floor.

Crouch says the goal is to lengthen and release the hypertonic muscles, so contractions are more effective and the muscles can work effectively. “We have to make sure the muscle can do what we need it to do, so lengthening is just as important as strengthening,” she says.

Here are 2 exercises that she recommends:

Happy Baby Pose

The Happy Baby Pose is a great addition to a pelvic floor routine when stretching and releasing are the goal.

Begin by lying on the floor with your knees bent.
Bring your knees toward your belly at a 90-degree angle, with the soles of your feet facing up.
Grab and hold the outside or inside of your feet.
Open your knees until they’re slightly wider than your torso. Then, bring your feet up toward your armpits. Make sure your ankles are over your knees.
Flex your heels and push your feet into your hands. You can stay in this position for several breaths or gently rock from side to side.

Diaphragmatic breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing encourages the functional relationship between the diaphragm and pelvic floor. It’s also an excellent exercise for reducing stress. (23)

Begin by lying flat on the floor on a yoga or exercise mat. You can also perform the exercise in a seated position.
Do a few seconds of progressive relaxation. Focus on releasing the tension in your body.
Once relaxed, put one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest.
Inhale through your nose to expand your stomach — your chest should stay relatively still. Then, breathe in for 2–3 seconds and exhale slowly.
Repeat several times while keeping one hand on the chest and one on the stomach.

Crouch also recommends adding lunges and squats to a pelvic floor routine. “Everyday exercise like lunging and Swiss ball squats can be great ways to add in pelvic floor strengthening,” she says.

When performing these moves, Crouch says to think about contracting the pelvic floor before you go down into the lunge or squat, re-engaging at the bottom, and then contracting again as you drive up to standing.

Summary
Quick flick Kegels, marches, heel slides, Happy Baby Pose, and diaphragmatic breathing are five exercises that help relax and condition the pelvic floor muscles.

For a lot of people, adding pelvic floor exercises to their daily routine is a simple way to strengthen these muscles and maintain overall pelvic health.

But for many others, seeking help from a doctor or a physical therapist trained in pelvic floor issues is a necessary intervention. This is especially true if you’re having bowel or bladder control problems.

Here are some signs to watch for that may indicate it’s time to see a professional (24).

leaking urine or stool
problems with having a bowel movement
pressure or discomfort in the pelvis
seeing or feeling a bulge protruding out of the vagina or anus
pain while urinating
incontinence
difficulty emptying the bladder or bowels completely

Remember, it’s always OK to call your doctor, even if you feel your symptoms are not that severe. Finding the right treatment for your situation can help you feel better and prevent any further damage to the pelvic floor area.

Summary
Call your doctor if you’re experiencing bladder control issues, pain or discomfort, or symptoms related to pelvic floor prolapse.

Adding pelvic floor strengthening exercises to your day is an excellent way to give these muscles a workout and boost your overall health. Remember to focus on form and function and engage the muscles each time you do an exercise.

If you’re new to these exercises or you would like some extra help, consider consulting a pelvic floor physical therapist. They can recommend exercises specific and ensure you’re doing them correctly.

Finally, if your symptoms interfere with daily activities or seem to be getting worse, make an appointment with your doctor.

Pelvic Floor Exercises for Everyone (Yes, Everyone)

If you can’t sneeze, laugh, or cough without leaking a little urine, you’re not alone. Problems with the pelvic floor are common and can happen to anyone (1).

The pelvic floor comprises muscles and connective tissues. These soft tissues attach to your pelvis, and more specifically, to the bones at the bottom of the pelvis.

In all people, the pelvic organs include the urethra, bladder, intestines, and rectum. If you have a vagina, the pelvic floor also consists of the uterus, cervix, and vagina (3).

“When the pelvic floor is engaged or contracted, it performs a lifting motion toward your head, which feels like you are trying to stop gas or urine, or pucker your anal opening,” she says.

Summary
The pelvic floor comprises muscles and connective tissues that attach to the pelvis.

The pelvic floor muscles are critical to daily functions. They support the pelvic organs, including the bladder, urethra, rectum, anus, prostate, uterus, cervix, vagina, and intestines (4).

Pelvic floor muscles also contribute to sexual health and function, including arousal and orgasm (5, 6).

Plus, they help stabilize your hips and trunk, especially when walking and standing.

Pregnancy and vaginal birth can weaken these muscles, causing a host of issues, which range in severity from mild pain and discomfort to pelvic organ prolapse (7, 8).

Summary
Pelvic floor muscles support the urethra, bladder, intestines, rectum, and other pelvic organs. If you have a uterus, cervix, and vagina, the pelvic floor also supports these organs.

For a lot of people, the concepts of Kegels and the pelvic floor are synonymous with a vagina, and more specifically, pregnancy.

They also help with sexual health, including function and sensation.

Common diagnoses of pelvic floor disorders in men include chronic prostatitis, pudendal neuralgia, genitofemoral neuralgia, and hypertonicity (10).

Summary
People of all genders have pelvic floor muscles.

One of the simplest ways to find the pelvic floor is to stop or slow urine flow while going to the bathroom. If you can do this successfully at least a few times, you’ve found your pelvic floor.

Another good way to activate the pelvic floor muscles, says Crouch, is this:

Lie down with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Inhale.
Exhale gently, draw in your lower abdominal muscles, and squeeze in the muscles around the urethra like you’re trying to stop gas or urine. People with a vagina can also focus on lifting or squeezing the muscles around the vagina.
Hold for 1–2 seconds, then let everything go. You should feel the pelvic floor muscles release and drop.

One way to find the pelvic floor muscles while standing is to imagine you need to pass gas but don’t want to let it out.

Likewise, engaging the pelvic floor muscles may contribute to a stronger abdominal contraction (12).

This is especially important to remember when you’re an active individual or looking to increase your core strength for functional purposes.

Learning to let the elevator rest at the bottom is important, too, as excess tension in these muscles can cause pain.

Summary
There are several ways to find the pelvic floor muscles, including stopping urine midstream and trying to prevent gas from leaving your body. It’s important to learn how to both contract and relax these muscles.

When the pelvic floor muscles are weak or malfunctioning, they lose the ability to fully support the pelvic organs, causing pelvic floor disorders.

These disorders can include urinary or fecal incontinence, urgency urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, and pelvic organ prolapse, and they might cause symptoms like painful sex (13, 14).

What’s more, researchers expect to see a 70% increase in the number of women impacted by PFD by the year 2050, due to health trends like increasing body mass index and chronic constipation (14).

Furthermore, people with a penis don’t often think they can be impacted by PFD, but the prevalence of such conditions in men is estimated to be about 16% (4).

Symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction include:

pelvic pressure or fullness
the frequent urge to urinate or painful urination
urinary leakage
urinary incontinence
lower back pain
constipation, difficulties with bowel movements, or bowel leakage
difficulty emptying the bladder
pain with sexual intercourse
pain in the pelvic region or genitals
pelvic muscle spasms

Fortunately, there are nonsurgical ways to treat PFD and find relief from pain or embarrassment. Often a consultation with a pelvic floor physical therapist is a good place to start.

Summary
Pelvic floor disorders (PFD) are more common than people realize, but they’re also more treatable than people realize.

Sometimes, these conditions are referred to as relaxing pelvic floor dysfunction and nonrelaxing pelvic floor dysfunction.

But here’s the deal: Not everyone should be doing Kegels.

Summary
Pelvic floor muscles can be hypotonic (too weak or lax) or hypertonic (too tight).

Plus, it can help with bladder and bowel control.

Researchers have also found that improved pelvic floor function improves quality of life (19).

A pelvic floor strengthening program could likewise lead to better sex (5).

Moreover, regularly squeezing or contracting the pelvic floor muscles may boost sexual sensation and sexual function for some people with a vagina (21).

Finally, the American Urological Association recommends pelvic floor muscle training as part of a treatment plan for overactive bladder (22).

The goal of this therapy is to inhibit involuntary bladder contractions and decrease incontinence.

Summary
Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles can reduce incontinence, improve sexual health, decrease symptoms of pelvic floor prolapse, and help treat overactive bladder.

You can activate the pelvic floor anytime, anywhere. But it’s also beneficial to incorporate specific exercises that strengthen and target the pelvic floor muscles.

One way to design a program is to categorize the exercises for those who have hypotonic pelvic floor muscles versus those who have hypertonic pelvic floor muscles.

According to Crouch, hypotonic means you have low tone pelvic floor issues and need to strengthen and improve endurance and power.

Exercises for hypotonic pelvic floor muscles

To target hypotonic pelvic floor issues, Crouch recommends these 3 exercises:

Quick flick Kegels

Crouch says the quick flick Kegel requires quick contractions of your pelvic floor to help activate the muscles faster and stronger to stop leaks upon sneezing or coughing.

Begin by lying on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. As this exercise becomes easier, try sitting or standing while performing it.
Find your pelvic floor muscles using the tips described above.
Exhale, pull your navel to your spine, and quickly contract and release your pelvic floor muscles. Aim to contract for 1 second before releasing.
Maintain steady breathing throughout.
Repeat the quick flick 10 times, then rest for 10 seconds. Do 2–3 sets.

Heel slides

Heel slides encourage pelvic floor contractions while targeting the deep abdominal muscles.

Begin by lying on the floor with your knees bent and pelvis in a neutral position.
Inhale into the rib cage, then exhale through the mouth, letting your ribs naturally compress.
Draw your pelvic floor up, lock in your core, and slide your right heel away from you. Only go as far as you can without losing your connection to your deep core.
Find the bottom position, then inhale and bring your leg back to starting position.
Repeat.
Do 10 slides on each side before changing to the other leg.

Marches (also called toe taps)

Like heel slides, the marching exercise increases core stability and encourages pelvic floor contractions.

Begin by lying on the floor with your knees bent and pelvis in a neutral position.
Inhale into your rib cage, then exhale through your mouth, letting your ribs naturally compress.
Draw your pelvic floor up and lock in your core.
Slowly lift one leg up to a tabletop position.
Slowly lower this leg to the starting position.
Repeat the movement alternating legs. You should not feel any pain in your lower back. It’s important that your deep core stays engaged throughout the entire exercise.
Alternate legs for 12–20 times total.

Exercises for hypertonic pelvic floor muscles

Hypertonic exercises may provide some relaxation and lengthening for someone who has a short or tight pelvic floor.

Here are 2 exercises that she recommends:

Happy Baby Pose

The Happy Baby Pose is a great addition to a pelvic floor routine when stretching and releasing are the goal.

Begin by lying on the floor with your knees bent.
Bring your knees toward your belly at a 90-degree angle, with the soles of your feet facing up.
Grab and hold the outside or inside of your feet.
Open your knees until they’re slightly wider than your torso. Then, bring your feet up toward your armpits. Make sure your ankles are over your knees.
Flex your heels and push your feet into your hands. You can stay in this position for several breaths or gently rock from side to side.

Diaphragmatic breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing encourages the functional relationship between the diaphragm and pelvic floor. It’s also an excellent exercise for reducing stress. (23)

Begin by lying flat on the floor on a yoga or exercise mat. You can also perform the exercise in a seated position.
Do a few seconds of progressive relaxation. Focus on releasing the tension in your body.
Once relaxed, put one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest.
Inhale through your nose to expand your stomach — your chest should stay relatively still. Then, breathe in for 2–3 seconds and exhale slowly.
Repeat several times while keeping one hand on the chest and one on the stomach.

Crouch also recommends adding lunges and squats to a pelvic floor routine. “Everyday exercise like lunging and Swiss ball squats can be great ways to add in pelvic floor strengthening,” she says.

Summary
Quick flick Kegels, marches, heel slides, Happy Baby Pose, and diaphragmatic breathing are five exercises that help relax and condition the pelvic floor muscles.

For a lot of people, adding pelvic floor exercises to their daily routine is a simple way to strengthen these muscles and maintain overall pelvic health.

Here are some signs to watch for that may indicate it’s time to see a professional (24).

leaking urine or stool
problems with having a bowel movement
pressure or discomfort in the pelvis
seeing or feeling a bulge protruding out of the vagina or anus
pain while urinating
incontinence
difficulty emptying the bladder or bowels completely

Summary
Call your doctor if you’re experiencing bladder control issues, pain or discomfort, or symptoms related to pelvic floor prolapse.

Finally, if your symptoms interfere with daily activities or seem to be getting worse, make an appointment with your doctor.

15 Hip Exercises Everyone Should Know

July 23, 2021 Likbez Sports and fitness

Learn how to properly strengthen and stretch your muscles, and you will never have to suffer from pain and stiffness.

Iya Zorina

Author of Lifehacker, athlete, CCM

Why do exercises for the hip joints

To keep the joints healthy, they need movement. Physical activity has a positive effect on the condition of cartilage, and strong and elastic muscles around them reduce the risk of injury during sports and in everyday life.

Hip exercises are recommended both as a pain prevention and even as a treatment for conditions such as osteoarthritis, the thinning of cartilage between two bones.

For example, a review of scientific studies analyzed 77 papers involving almost 6.5 thousand people. It turned out that 8 weeks of exercise significantly reduced pain, improved the function of the affected joints and quality of life in patients with osteoarthritis.

The exercises below will help warm up the muscles around the hip joints, relieve pain and slightly increase your range of motion.

However, before doing them, one should reasonably assess one's condition and possibilities.

When not to exercise

Hip discomfort is not necessarily associated with osteoarthritis. This area of the body can hurt, for example, because you ran too much without training and you have an inflamed tendon of the ilio-tibial tract. Or they overdid it with weight when bending the legs and injured the muscles on the back of the thigh.

If your joints are sore after a workout, it's best not to touch the injured area and let your body recover. In this case, start the exercises only when the discomfort is completely gone and the movements do not cause discomfort.

Also, do not exercise before visiting the doctor if you have the following symptoms:

the pain persists for more than one week, considering that during this time you do not load the joint;
temperature rises;
hip pain came on suddenly and you suffer from sickle cell anemia;
Pain occurs on both sides and also in other joints of the body.

Which hip exercises to do

We have selected several items from the UK Health Services (NHS) recommendations. Also on the list were movements from a small scientific experiment on the treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip, and exercises from physiotherapist Dr. Jo from her YouTube channel.

1. Lying Knee Curl

This exercise gently warms up the thigh muscles. You can do it right in bed in the morning.

Lie on your back with both legs straight. Slowly bend one knee, sliding the foot horizontally towards the buttock. Then straighten your leg and repeat. Do five times for each limb.

2. Pulling the knee to the chest

The movement increases the elasticity of the gluteal muscles.

Lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Raise one leg, grasp the area under the knee with your hands and pull it to your chest as far as possible. Hold for three seconds and return your foot to the floor. Repeat five times with each leg.

3. Side Leg Raise

This exercise strengthens the gluteus medius.

Stand sideways to a chair or wall and hold on to a support with one hand. Raise your straight leg out to the side as high as you can. Bring it back and repeat.

If this exercise is easy for you, try to make it more difficult by adding resistance.

Hook the resistance band to a stable support not far from the floor, put the loop around your right ankle and move a little further, stretching the band. Turn to the support with your left side and take your leg away, overcoming the resistance of the elastic band. Perform 5-10 times with each limb.

4. Isometric hip abduction against the wall

This exercise strengthens the gluteus medius muscles.

Stand with your right side close to the wall, bend your right leg at the hip and knee joints at an angle of 90 degrees and press it against the wall.

Place your left foot on the floor and press your bent hip into the wall. You should feel how the gluteal muscles tighten from the side of the supporting limb.

Hold the position for 5-10 seconds, trying to push the wall as hard as you can. Then lower your leg and repeat again. Do three sets of 15 reps on each side.

5. Pulling the leg back

This exercise strengthens the gluteal muscles. Stand facing the back of a chair or a wall. Lift your leg off the floor and take it back, tensing your buttocks. Return to starting position and repeat.

You can also work with resistance - put the elastic band over the ankle of the working leg and take it back.

Do 12-15 reps for each limb.

6. Glute bridge

This exercise strengthens the gluteal muscles and the back of the thighs.

Lie on your back, bend your hips and knees, and place your feet flat on the floor. The angle of the bend in the knees can be straight or sharp - when the heels are closer to the buttocks.

Lift your pelvis off the floor and extend your body in a single line from your shoulders to your knees. Squeeze your buttocks at the top, then lower yourself back to the floor and repeat.

If this is too easy, try lifting one foot off a horizontal surface and straightening your leg. Raise and lower the pelvis with support from only one limb - this way the muscles will get more load.

Perform 10-15 reps on each leg.

7. Shell

Movement strengthens the gluteus medius and increases hip mobility.

Lie on your side, put your legs on top of each other and bend them at the hip and knee joints. An arm or pillow may be placed under the head.

Raise your upper thigh so that your knee is facing the ceiling. Squeeze your buttocks at the extreme point and bring your legs back, returning to the starting position.

This exercise can be made more difficult with the help of an expander: put on the elastic just below the knees and abduct the thigh, overcoming the resistance of the tape.

Repeat 12-15 times on each side.

8. Squats

This exercise strengthens the muscles of the thighs and buttocks.

Stand with your back to a stable support about 50 centimeters high, such as a chair. Position your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower, turn your toes to the sides.

Straighten your back, push your pelvis back and sit down until it touches the chair. Do not linger in this position: touched - and immediately come back. You can keep your hands in front of you - it will be easier to maintain balance.

Use an expander to make things more difficult. Put it on your feet just above the knees and while squatting, try to keep your hips from turning, resisting the pressure of the elastic. This will increase the load on the gluteus medius and teach you good squat technique.

Do 10-15 reps.

9. Side Adduction

This exercise strengthens the adductors on the inside of the thigh.

Lie on the floor on your right side, you can put your head on your arm or a pillow. Bend your left leg at the knee and place your left foot on the floor at about the level of your right knee. Lift your straight right leg off the floor, lifting it low, fix it for a second and lower it back. Perform 10-15 times on each side.

10.

Leg raise, lying on the stomach

Movement strengthens the gluteal muscles.

Lie on the floor on your stomach, you can put your head on crossed arms or take a pillow, as in the video. Straighten your knees and tuck your toes in to place your toes on the floor. Straining your buttocks, tear off one leg from the horizontal, fix for a second and lower it back.

Do not drop the limbs to the floor, but return them slowly - this will allow you to better pump the muscles. Perform 10-15 reps on each leg.

You can also take an expander band and put it on the ankles to complicate the movements and better load the muscles.

11. Seated hip curl

This exercise strengthens the hip flexors.

Sit on a chair or other low support with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor. Raise your right knee as high as you can, hold for a second, and then lower it back down. Then do the same with the left leg.

Perform 10 reps on each leg.

12. Lunges on the spot

Movement strengthens the legs and buttocks, improves balance.

Stand up straight with your hands on your waist. Step your right foot forward and stay in that position. Lower yourself until your front thigh is parallel to the floor, or stop a little higher, as long as the stretch allows.

Keep your back straight and lean forward slightly. Make sure that the heel of the front foot does not come off the floor. Straighten up and repeat. Do 10-12 times with each leg.

13. Single Knee Stretch

This item will help stretch the hip flexors, muscles that are often shortened in those who sit a lot.

Kneel on the floor with a mat or rolled towel underneath. Tilt the pelvis back - pull the pubic bone towards the navel. Then gently move your hips forward. Feel the stretch in the front of your thigh near your groin. Hold the pose for 20-30 seconds and repeat on the other leg.

14. Glute stretch

Lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Then lift your right leg, rotate your thigh outward and place your right shin on top of your left thigh just above the knee. Feel the stretch in your right gluteus muscle.

To make the exercise more difficult, you can move your left heel closer to the buttock, and also lift your leg off the floor, grab your thigh with your hands and pull it to your chest. Fix the position and stay in it for 20-30 seconds. Then repeat with the other leg.

15. Butterfly

This exercise stretches the deep hip rotators and adductors.

Sit on the floor, bend your knees and bring your feet together in front of you. Place them as close to the pelvis as the stretch allows. Pull your knees towards the floor, feel the muscles in your thighs stretch. Release the pressure, rest a bit and repeat. Do five times.

How often to do hip exercises

You can do these exercises every day. Start with one set of each exercise and gradually increase the number to three. You can also buy a set of expander bands with different resistance and gradually increase the load.

In addition to strength movements and stretching, do not forget about simple everyday moments. For example, add 20-30 minutes of walking per day, try to take the stairs rather than the elevator and spend your rest actively.

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